Start-ups get heads up in Brisbane

Four new innovative clean energy start-ups are the first to benefit from a new working relationship between the CEFC and clean energy business accelerator EnergyLab.

EnergyLab has announced the opening of its first Brisbane base which will offer accommodation, financial and mentoring support to the start-up companies. The new office is co-located with the CEFC, as part of its goal to accelerate investment in Australian clean energy innovators. The Queensland government is providing an additional $400,000 in operational funding, as part of its Advance EnergyLab has co-working spaces for clean energy start-ups in each of Sydney, Melbourne, and Canberra, where it provides the innovative companies with mentoring and other support to help them turn their business ideas into commercial reality.

Each start-up will receive six to 24 months support, including rent-free office space, $50,000 in seed capital, and mentoring and networking opportunities to help them build a business platform for their ongoing development.

The Queensland businesses are:

Cirlution – which has developed a scheme to capture the maximum value from food waste

and convert it into clean energy and heat

Charge Cube – which has created an affordable small modular solar battery system, suitable

for developing countries

Fluxpower – which is developing an electricity payments network to reward demand

response in real time, working with electricity generators, retailers and end users

“Accelerators such as EnergyLab play a critical role in helping start-ups accelerate their pathway from innovation to commercialisation,” Gust said.

“Australia-wide we are seeing increasing diversity in the clean energy innovation space. These four companies are part of an exciting trend that promises to extend the benefits of clean energy across the economy, creating new business opportunities for Australian innovators and investors.

“We are delighted to work alongside EnergyLab in this exciting Queensland expansion, and to welcome the four start-ups to the CEFC’s Brisbane office.”

EnergyLab co-founder and programs director James Tilbury said the accelerator program looked for strong business ideas which had the ability to contribute to the transformation of Australia’s energy market and potentially world markets.

“Our expansion to Queensland has been made possible by the State’s high calibre of entrepreneurs and the generous support from a wide range of stakeholders, such as the CEFC and the Queensland Government,” Tilbury said.

“The state and city governments have done an excellent job of fostering a vibrant start-up ecosystem and we’re thrilled to be able to build on that work by providing deep, sector-specific expertise for entrepreneurs working on clean energy solutions.”